A lot of people think Hu Tao is just an annoying character who’s only good for her DPS. She’s such a popular DPS character but her lore is so overlooked and people skim it and assume she’s a terrible person.
Smile:
So an angsty remind that Hu Tao’s smile is mostly fake all the time. This girl lost her entire family (probably) at the age of 13 (which is like REALLY young) and her very first client was the only person who understood her. Her grandfather was so special to her and most likely every time she holds a funeral is like another painful memory. So people who joke about Hu Tao messing around at funerals needs to actually read her lore, she never does that and it’s written that she takes her funerals very seriously and quietly. Hu Tao might be all smiley all the time but remember what she’s gone through and realize fake smiles exist.
Lazy:
Hu Tao is NOT lazy. I don’t know why people think she’s lazy or something just because she has an carefree personality. Not a carefree attitude. This girl is REALLY hardworking, she took over an entire business as a teenager and this means she was witnessing human deaths from all over since she was so young. Also, lazy just doesn’t make sense considering this girl, at 13, literally walked to the border herself and stayed there for as long as she could. She stayed there even though she was running out of food and water and the only way she went back was because the spirits sent her back as they were worried for her.
Death:
Hu Tao never found death funny. She got used to it. Imagine you’re only 13 and having to see dead people everyday and you’re in charge of it for the rest of whenever. I can guarantee after a bit you’re eventually gonna get used to it. She doesn’t find death “funny” or whatever, she’s just gotten used to it because she’s literally been exposed to this thing since she was THIRTEEN. Heck, not even 13, because her grandfather owned it and she helped, she probably witnessed death often even when she was younger. Death isn’t a joke to her at all, her job is to help the spirits pass onto the border. So no, she was never trying to bury Qiqi for fun either. Everything she does has a purpose, she’s not some stupid ditzy girl everyone sets her out to be.
Her hat:
Her hat isn’t some stupid accessory. People call it ugly but don’t even know the true meaning behind it. That hat was her grandfather’s final gift to her in a way, and she cherished it with all her heart. She spent an entire night modifying it so it could fit on her. Hu Tao cherishes this hat so much and this just shows how much she really cared about her grandfather and how much he meant to her. Wind or Rain, throw her into a pile of mud, whatever. The hat will always remain spotless, she will not let that hat be ruined.
Her vision:
If you’ve read her voicelines before, have you ever wondered why she goes “oh this thing.,? Whatever” for her vision? It’s because it’s the source of fucking trauma. She got her vision when she accepted her grandfather’s death. It’s not that she cares about the vision, it’s the fact that she got the vision because of a death. Hu Tao got her pyro vision because she doesn’t want freedom like Anemo, she didn’t feel trapped either. She got her pyro vision because when she accepted the death of her grandfather she still had a great passion to continue running her grandfather’s business. She’s really been through a lot yet people ignore it completely.
Qiqi:
Listsn, I’m not justifying her actions or anything but saying she’s a mindless evil terrible person who is trying to kill a child is so wrong. The purpose to bury Qiqi wasn’t for fun, it was because Hu Tao believed that Qiqi would be better off going back to the dead instead of having to be forced to live constantly forgetting your memories. Reminder Qiqi isn’t even a child, she’s a full on running around corpse. Hu Tao left Qiqi alone after she realize Qiqi was getting scared of her, people act like she’s still doing it. Also remember, Hu Tao is the guardian of the border. It’s HER job to sort out the living and the dead, all she was trying to do was do that and do what’s best for Qiqi.
Friends:
Before you say “oh every character hates Hu Tao” they really don’t. Those people who say “Xiangling, xingqiu, chongyun all hate Hu Tao” erm no? They’re all childhood friends, and Xinyan doesn’t hate Hu Tao either. Xiangling and Hu Tao are close, heck her new outfit was apparently given to her by Xiangling so they could wear it together. Hu Tao just likes to prank her friends sometimes but Xiangling did say she doesn’t mind it that much. Xinyan and Hu Tao get along, Hu Tao is overall just really friendly and if people didn’t find her weird then she could be the social butterfly of Liyue because she’s not one to judge others quickly. Xingqui and Hu Tao write poems together and they’re actually quite close as well. Hu Tao and Chongyun don’t have that much charisma but again, they’re not enemies. They were childhood friends as well.
Voicelines:
Im aware a lot of other character voicelines are not positive about Hu Tao. But this shows a lot. They’re pretty much talking bad behind her back and I think that adds a really realistic show of what the world is like as well.
Overall:
Hu Tao is a character with so much lore potential and she isn’t some random evil character, she’s a character with a lot of depth out into her. She has a ton of realistic features in her life as well. She shows what it’s like being a teenager. Faking a smile, having to deal with hard things at a really young age, misunderstandings, friendship problems, people talking bad behind your back, and much more. People don’t see her lore in depth and she’s become a character everyone can blame if they need a villian even though Hu Tao never did anything wrong. She’s a great character and people mischaracterize her too often.
